A Fishy End

Chapter 32

Lydia stepped off the porch and inhaled the evening air. She felt better knowing that Zoe did indeed plan to go back to college. But there was something fishy about this Miskatonic University. She'd never heard of it before.

A walk would help clear her head, she decided. She stepped off her porch and headed toward the street. The slender form of Dr. West was coming from the other direction, a towel draped over one arm. The doctor had a self-satisfied expression on her face.

"Good evening, Doctor."

"And you."

"Such a nice evening, thought I'd go for a walk," Lydia said as the two came face to face. "How about you?"

"Just delivering something."

"You look pleased."

"Yes, it was a very successful experiment, I must say," Dr. West replied. "And it's always good to help out the neighbours, don't you think?"

"Indeed, I do."

"And you, you seemed troubled."

"My daughter—" Lydia broke off suddenly.

"Some trouble at school as I recall," the doctor prompted.

"Yeah. Now she doesn't want to go back to the university. She wants to go to this new school, Miskatonic or something. I've never heard of it."

"Old," the doctor commented. To Lydia's blank look, she added, "It's not a new school, but a very old one. Well regarded out east, I assure you, though little known elsewhere. I did some upper graduate work there."

"Oh," Lydia answered, surprised. "They have a medical school?"

"They do. Top rate. What is your daughter planning on studying?"

Lydia was almost embarrassed to say it. "Occult studies."

"The program is excellent." The doctor chuckled. "Let me guess—that is part of the concern, no? What does one do with an occult studies degree?"

"A bit," Lydia admitted. "I'm not a materialist, mind. I don't care what she does with her life, as long as she's happy. But just what does one do with a degree in occult studies?"

"That I couldn't say. But I can say this; I met a few occult-studies alumni while I was there. The one thing they don't do is want. If anything, they are conspicuously well off." She shrugged. "I'm guessing the department is one of a kind and well placed in its field. Antiquities dealers, scholarly researchers, those seeking translations of rare texts, flock to the school. They have a great placement program. I've not heard of a student failing to find some sort of gainful employment after graduation, at least not from that department."

"That does make me feel better," Lydia said. "And knowing someone who's been there . . . it's just a brochure to me otherwise. Thank you. I should probably let you go, though."

"Yes. Newest doctor in town means a lot of night shifts," she said with a shake of her head. They said their goodbyes, and the doctor headed toward her home.

At the far end of the block, Lydia found Jack besides his aquaculture pool. He had a net out and was cussing at a prodigious rate. "How the . . ."

"Is there a problem?" she asked from the fence. He broke off and stared at her suspiciously. After a few moments he shrugged, as though dismissing whatever suspicion he'd been forming.

"It's the third time today!" he said. "And whoever is behind it, it's not funny."

"What's not funny?"

He turned his attention back to the pool. He swung the net and then lifted it with a whoop of joy. "Got you, sucker!"

The fish was large and primitive looking. "What the heck is that?" she asked as he dropped it into a waiting bucket.

"Hell if I know," he answered. "Someone keeps putting fish into my pool. Dammit, that thing ate at least half a dozen of my crop." He hoisted the bucket and carried it over by the fence gate. "What I don't get is this. Put some strange fish in the old man's tank, fine. It's a dumbass joke, but I get it, I do. But these fish?" He looked around the growing twilight. "Too late to take it to the bait shop. Not that I have much hope. They didn't know what the last one was either. But still, they're big. Exotic fish aren't cheap, not even when they're small. Someone is dishing out a small fortune for a really dumb joke. I don't get it."

"Coelacanth," Lydia said as it hit her.

"What?"

"They were thought to be extinct. Then someone caught one. Indian Ocean, I think. But that's what it looks like."

"Are you sure? What the heck would something like that be doing in my aquaculture tank?"

Lydia shrugged. "I don't know. But I agree, that's a lot of work and a lot of money for a joke."

"Maybe it's just a big Oscar," he mused.

"Probably. Someone needed to get rid of it, or something."

"Not in my tank," Jack groused. "Damn them." He hoisted the fish and carried it to his porch. "Take it by the bait shop tomorrow, see what they say."

"Best of luck with that." She left him on his porch, muttering about putting up a camera. She shook her head as she finished her walk. She had to admit, it was kind of funny. If Zoey hadn't spent the entire summer shut up in her room, Lydia might almost suspect her. It was the kind of thing Zoey would have done when she was younger.